Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to a multi-step process for forming a protected advertising surface on a container or other product and to the product having the protected advertising surface. In a preferred example, a drinking vessel has an inner liner formed by injection molding; an imprint is placed on the exterior of the liner and the exterior of the liner and its rim are encompassed and bonded with a translucent or transparent plastic to form an integral drinking vessel with an imprint visible from the exterior but protected from exterior or interior damage. The same process may be applied to a different type of product or container such as a coaster or a change dish or a lid and the like, to provide a protected advertising surface.
Most advertising surfaces, for example, thermal drinking vessels, which exhibit a decal or design are formed from two separate parts laminated or sealed after the decal has been placed between the parts prior to sealing. Such vessels tend to chip or the seal becomes broken so that the thermal properties are lost and the decal or design becomes damaged or dislodged. Many products have the design or logo printed or otherwise affixed to the exterior of the product whereupon the design itself wears or becomes damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,948 to F. Yeh provides a mug assembly with an internal mug adapted to be positioned inside an external mug, the latter of which is transparent. The internal mug is made of a non-plastic material which is ceramic, porcelain, stoneware, earthenware or glass. A sealing method or material secures the internal mug inside the external mug. Decorative indicia may be provided between the inner of the external mug and the outer surface of the internal mug. Although this assembly technique may appear simple, it has the drawback mentioned above where the seal can become broken and the imprint or decal damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,931 to G. Cranford, provides a method for printing a sublimation transfer on a container having a handle, such as a cup or mug. The length of the transfer is sufficient to completely encircle the outer surface of the mug. The sublimation transfer is pressed against the mug and heat is applied to transfer the printing to the mug. The design of the transfer allows printing to completely encircle the mug. However, the transfer is on the exterior of the mug and is easily subjected to damage.
The present invention provides an economical process for forming a protected advertising surface as a part of a container, e.g., a drinking vessel, a coaster, a coin container or the like and further resides in the advertising surface protected product itself. As an example, the drinking vessel has an interior liner, which can be opaque, translucent, or transparent, and an exterior integral transparent or translucent layer to allow unimpeded viewing of any indicia placed on the exterior of the liner. Furthermore, the drinking vessel provides an attractive, completely integral vessel for consumption of warm and cold beverages. The vessel may be in the form of a tumbler, a mug, or a cup or the like.
The present invention provides a process for preparing an injection molded product having a protected advertising surface, generally a container, which process comprises forming in a first injection mold a liner from a plastic material, the liner having a bottom, an interior, an exterior and a rim. The liner is removed from the injection mold, imprinted with indicia on its exterior, and placed in a second injection mold. In a second injection mold, an outer layer of plastic material is provided to surround and fuse to the exterior of the liner including the rim and bottom to provide an integral container. The plastic in the second mold will be translucent or transparent so that the imprint on the interior liner will be visible from the outside of the container and completely protected by the outer layer. The two parts fuse in the second molding step to make an integral item without any bonding agent. The final product cannot be separated into the liner layer and the exterior layer but remains a unitary item.
A protected advertising surface is an interior surface of a multilayer product which surface is receptive of indicia or other design and which can be viewed from the exterior of the product while being completely protected from the possibility of damage.
Suitable plastic material may be used to form the liner and the outer layer. Among suitable plastic materials are acrylics, styrenes, polycarbonates, and combinations thereof. Particularly suitable plastic materials are styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylics.
The present invention also provides an integral injection molded product having a protected advertising surface which comprises a plastic liner having a bottom, an interior, an exterior and a rim. The exterior of the liner may have either a jut out or tab adjacent the rim, or the interior may have a vertical small flat edge or other design, to be used solely as a registration point for placement of indicia. The registration point may also be used as a registration point for the second mold. Any of these types of registration points permits accurate location of any indicia or imprint placed on the exterior of the liner with respect to placement of the liner in the second injection mold for making the final product. This is particularly true when the product is a mug, cup, or the like where the shape is not completely symmetrical. An injection molded outer layer of translucent or transparent plastic material surrounds and fuses to the exterior of the liner including the rim to provide an integral container with a visible imprint.